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By Musinguzi Goodluck and Timothy Eodu-Moroto
Officials from the Inspectorate of Government led by the Deputy Inspector General of Government-IGG Dr. Patricia Achan Okiria have urged both the technical and political leaders in Moroto district to comply with the ongoing declaration of assets, wealth and liabilities process to ensure transparency and accountability.
Dr. Okiria made this call while meeting the district leadership at the chamber hall today, stating that the purpose of the engagement was to reawaken leaders to declare their wealth and assets as stipulated in the leadership code. She said this was prompted by some section of leaders breaching this noble cause, which has led to fines at the Leadership Code Tribunal.
She cautioned that those individuals who will exaggerate, not declare their wealth or assets, those who will under or over declare, those who will want to do so at last then get frustrated by system failures may risk being penalized or fined by the leadership code tribunal or even face dismissal from their positions.
However, Mr. Donato Longes, the declaration of property focal person at the district stated that most of them are facing challenges of accessing the system to update or file their declarations due to it being shut down. He urged that the system be adjusted a little bit to allow proper and timely response by the leaders while using it to declare their wealth.
David Koriang the LCV of Moroto district said the district leadership both technical and political are ready to comply with this exercise to ensure accountability of the services they do to the country. He called upon all the leaders in the district to respond positively to avoid being referred to as corrupt officials who accumulated their wealth wrongly.
Mr. Joram Magezi the Director for Leadership Code at IGG said they have come to assist the leaders understand how to use the system but also those new leaders to complete their declaration. He said the system has been undergoing some upgrades to address some challenges that among others included non leaders being fed into the system.
He said the district has only 42 leaders, representing 22% of declaration so far done. He called upon those who have not yet declared to do so, especially now that the team from IGG is on ground to assist them through the process.
The in-charge IGG Karamoja Regional Office Mr. Comboni Oiet called upon leaders in the district to coordinate and interface with them not only on declaration of assets and wealth but also on investigations and anti corruption crusades for better service delivery if services for the people.
While meeting with the Deputy IGG at his office, the Moroto municipality Clerk, Mr. Richard Eyaru urged that they are doing their best to encourage people to declare their assets, and have shown an example by themselves first declaring.
He however stated that low ICT knowledge among most leaders in the municipality is the main reason as to why very few have declared but also reluctance by others, whom he said maybe waiting for the last moments to act.
According to the IGG officials, in 2023 declaration exercise, compliance rate of Moroto was better than most parts of the country and have called for 100% during this current one ending on March 31, 2025.
The Leadership Code (amendment) Act, 2021 makes it mandatory for all public officers to now periodically declare their assets, incomes and liabilities to the Inspector General with punishments for those that will either delay or declare false information. It has also made provision for other aspects that were not catered for in the amendment of the Act of 2002 such as to what extent a public officer has an interest in an asset or income.
This clear doubt and the trickery public officers have been using to hide their income and assets. The 1995 Constitution under article 223 creates the office of the Inspector General of Government whose mandate is to check, monitor the powers of public servants.
